SUNDARBANS

A Roadmap to Resilience
Resilience Profiling
Ecosystem based Risk Reduction
Community based Action Planning
Policy Recommendations

Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies

KYOTO UNIVERSITY
Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto In Association with
606-8501, JAPAN South 24 Parganas District Administration
http://www.iedm.ges.kyoto-u.ac.jp Government of West Bengal
http://www.facebook.com/IEDM.KU Printed in 2014 INDIA
 ABOUT THE INITIATIVE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

The lower Gangetic delta or the Indian Sundarbans is a cluster of vastly populated low lying
islands. The area is unique in many terms, particularly due to the present of extensive mangrove International Environment and Disaster Management Research group in the environmental
forests and associated bio-diversity. However, the region is also prone to wide range of coastal education laboratory of Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University
hazards due to its vulnerable geology and high developmental deficits. Consequently, its 4.37 targets to reduce the gap between knowledge and practice through pro-active field level,
million dwellers remain at an extraordinary risk from natural disasters such as cyclones & storm community based project implementation in the field of environment and disaster risk
surges. This publication is a part of ongoing socio-ecological research which aims to enhance management. The members of this laboratory work extensively in the field of disaster & climate
the coping capacities or ‘resilience’ of the communities through integrated resilience risk reduction all over the world, especially in South & Southeast Asia. The major thematic areas
assessment framework and participatory planning. Many people and institutions have extended of research in this laboratory are climate change adaptation, urban risk reduction, environment
their support to the existing research. We extend our sincerest gratitude to all of them, and disaster education.
especially, the South 24 Parganas District Administration for their extensive support &
cooperation during data collection process.

TEAM MEMBERS

Kyoto University Contact Address

Rajib Shaw Rajib Shaw, Professor

Rajarshi DasGupta Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies
KYOTO UNIVERSITY
Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, JAPAN
Tele fax: +81-75-753-5708
http://www.iedm.ges.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Email: [email protected]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We are immensely grateful to Mr. Santanu Basu, IAS, District Magistrate & Collector, South 24
Parganas & Smt. Lipika Roy, IFS, DFO, South 24 Parganas for their tremendous support during
field visit. In this regard, we also thankfully acknowledge the help & support extended to us by
the District Disaster Management Authority, South 24 Parganas and all the Block Development
Officers of Sundarban Region. We also sincerely acknowledge Sumitomo Foundation, Japan for Clock Tower, Kyoto University, Japan
their financial assistance for publication of this document.

This document can be reproduced for academic purposes with proper citation.

Citation: DasGupta Rajarshi & Rajib Shaw (2014): Participatory planning for enhancing community
resilience in mangrove rich Indian Sundarbans, Kyoto University, 42 pages, Kyoto, Japan

© Rajarshi DasGupta & Rajib Shaw, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, JAPAN
FOREWORD

1
 MESSAGE

2
MESSAGE

3
 MESSAGE

4
MESSAGE

5
 E cosystem services of mangroves is believed to sustain
m o r e t han 70 d i r ect hu man acti v it ie s inc luding it s

remark able habitat function for fish and crustacean

production and regulating functions such as effective

sediment trapping, storm and surge protection.

I n association with such ecological benefits, these coastal

forests also have significant cultural & aesthetics values

that are intrinsically linked to social & economic well

being of a vast section of coastal communities.

(In this picture: Mangrove Forests at Henry’s Island, Bakkhali, Sundarbans.)

6
 INTRODUCTION

Sundarbans, named after the exuberant mangrove species of  Heritiera fomes, is the vast low
lying delta situated at the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna and the Bay of
Bengal; extending over 25,000 sq. km in India and Bangladesh. A significant portion of the delta,
measuring approximately 9630 sq. km is situated in the administrative territory of India. As per
the organizational hierarchy, the region is covered within two districts of West Bengal, i.e. North
and South 24 Parganas; although the majority falls within the territory of South 24 Parganas. As
of 2011, the Indian Sundarbans hosts a population of 4.37 million with a staggering density of 957
people /sq.km spreading over 19 Community Development Blocks. The region also suffers from
extreme poverty and lack of human development with an average of 43.5% of the population
living below the nationally designated poverty line. Inaccessible and hostile terrain conditions,
ecological degradation, serious developmental deficits and persisting natural calamities such
as cyclones, tidal surges and floods are some of challenges that the region is facing today.
Considering this, a multi-dimensional approach is required to reduce the vulnerability or in turn
to enhance the resilience of the communities.

7
 CONCEPT OF RESILIENCE

Despite of having its origin from ecological sciences, the concept of resilience has become
extremely popular in the field of Disaster and Climate Risk Management, especially in the
management of ‘socio-ecological’ systems. In a purely physical terminology, ‘resilience’
is considered as the capacity to absorb external shocks without significant deformation.
However, in the context of disaster risk reduction, number of researchers has defined ‘resilient
communities’ as ‘systems’ that can (1) absorb shocks or recurrent disturbances without
significant deformation, (2) recover quickly from an altered state and further can (3) restructure
and reorganize itself through adaptive processes and practices in order to minimize the impacts
of expected disturbances.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

In this publication (consultation version) results are shown from all the 19 Community
Development Blocks of Indian Sundarbans. The resilience score is representative of the existing
structural and non-structural components that are essential for fostering resilient communities.

BLOCK PROFILE

Name Area in Census Density Literacy BPL Population

Sq. Km (2011) Person/km Rate (%) (%)
Of the CBD
Joynagar I 131.01 259980 1984 66.67 39.57
Joynagar II 186.25 246955 1326 60.09 42.60
Kultali 306.18 231855 757 60.81 46.36
Mathurapur I 147.30 194069 1318 66.00 34.43
Mathurapur II 227.45 219541 965 68.94 39.59
Kakdwip 252.74 286325 1133 71.38 34.91
Sagar 282.11 211096 748 78.92 44.46
Namkhana 370.61 181869 491 79.38 48.17
Pathar Pratima 484.47 333687 689 73.44 49.13
Canning I 187.86 297995 1586 61.23 31.05
Canning II 214.93 248521 1156 52.72 50.32
Gosaba 296.73 244721 825 69.67 38.02
Basanti 404.21 331973 821 58.12 64.89
Hingolganj 238.8 159585 668 70.07 44.50
Hasnabad 153.07 196880 1286 63.45 28.69
Sandeshkhali I 182.3 164185 901 58.45 58.29
Sandeshkhali II 197.21 160828 816 59.31 59.70
Minakhan 158.82 191908 1208 58.65 38.42
Haroa 152.73 214248 1403 62.82 33.73

8
 METHODOLOGY

The study is based on questionnaire survey and secondary data collection covering five
dimensions of coastal resilience. Each of the five dimensions was further categorized in to 5
major indicators and 25 variables. In total, the study is based on the result obtained from 125
variables. Results from the 125 variables were transformed to a resilience score by weighted
mean average of the indicators and variables.

Demography Annual Average Growth Rate, Population Density, Age Dependency Ratio,
% of Rural Population, % Backward/Tribal Population
Livelihood % of Below Poverty Line population, % of population lives on Coastal
resources, Enrollment in Livelihood Guarantee program, % of population lives on Eco-
tourism, % of population suffered livelihood discontinuation
Health Average Life expectancy Birth, Doctor: Population Ratio,% of population having
SOCIO- primary health facility within regular access, General condition of Public heath, Morbidity of
ECONOMIC major diseases
Social Capital Social cohesion, Acceptance of community leaders, Frequency of
village level meetings, Occurrence of Conflicts/Riots/ Homicide incidents, Community
participation in shared interests
Education & Awareness % of Adult Literacy Rate, School dropout rate of children,
Primary Schools, Existing community awareness of Disaster & climate change, Frequency
of mass awareness camp run both by NGOs, CBOs etc.

Transportation % road compared to overall land use,% of all weather accessible

roads, % of waterways compared to overall land use, Status of Jetties and inter island
communication, Availability of emergency vehicle/boats
Residential Infrastructure % of population with informal (slum etc) settlements, % of
population in co-operative housing,% of houses living under the avg. flood line, % of
population having ownership of their house, % of population living extremely close to
hazardous activity (port/industry)
Electricity % population having access to electricity, Number of hours of average
PHYSICAL OR
disruption of electricity supply, Service quality (Frequency of dropout or distribution
INFRASTRUCTURAL
failure etc.),% population having alterative source of electricity in case of disruption,
Implementation of renewable source of energy (Solar/wind etc)
Telecommunication % population having mobile phone, Quality of service / network
accessibility, % of population having radio/television, % of population having internet
connection, Provision of fishermen tracking systems
Water & Sanitation % population having access to safe drinking water, Quality of water,
Scarcity of Drinking water and seasonal variation of water availability, % population having
access to hygienic toilets, Implication of Waste water disposal and treatment facility

Laws & Policy Integration of DRR in developmental activities, Implementation of CRZ

Notification, Administrative initiatives of coastal greening, Frequency of DRR training
organized by the block, % of funds allocated to DRR activities.
Coordination Coordination among government departments, Coordination with political
leaders, Coordination with NGO (Number of joint program etc), External assessment
(Funding) received, Coordination with neighboring blocks
Emergency Response Existence of early warning system, Adequacy of trained emergency
response team, Availability of Evacuation centre ( Number of Flood/cyclone shelter),
Availability of Emergency Aids (Food, medicine, water etc),Transparency in Aid distribution
INSTITUTIONAL
process
Adaptive Action Integration of Climate change & DRR in developmental activity,
Development of forestry & Plantation at administrative initiatives, Implementation of
Disaster Insurance / Statutory aids to victims, Implementation flood/erosion control
technical measures only, Implementation of rainwater harvesting scheme
Governance Implementation of developmental plans, Public Private partnerships in
developmental activities, Off-disaster activities of Block Disaster Management Authority,
Information sharing & risk communication with the community, Adequacy of manpower
in existing block administration

9
 METHODOLOGY

Embankment & Shoreline Protection % of vulnerable shoreline protected by dykes/

embankments, Average age of embankments, Strength of Material & design used for
building the embankments, Frequency of maintenance of embankments, Frequency
of reported overtopping incidents
Mangrove Management % of mangrove cover compared to block size, % of
people directly depends mangroves, Activity of FPC in conservation of mangroves,
Performance of authorities in mangrove conservation, Frequency of organized
mangrove felling
Bio-Diversity Conservation Frequency of Animal Poaching incidents, Performance
COASTAL ZONE
of FD, Activity of EDC/FPC, Reported reduction in species , Frequency of monitoring
MANAGEMENT
overfishing in tidal waters
Coastal Pollution Quality of water, Industrial waste discharge points, Discharge
of domestic waste , Occurrence Oil spilling incidents , Frequency of monitoring of
coastal water quality
Coastal Land Use % of coastal sensitive land (500m) reclaimed for agriculture (10
years), Extent of fish cultivating pond, Extent of coastal land diversion for settlements/
infrastructure, Extent of mining and other drilling activities, Extent of coastal land
rehabilitation (Greenbelt etc.)

Frequency of Natural Disaster Frequency of flood occurrence, Extent of cyclone

damage, Extent of Coastal erosion and degree of damage, Frequency of heavy tidal
inceptions, Extent of Earthquake & Tsunami vulnerability
Climate components Extent of physical impact caused by sea level rise ,Relative rate
of sea level rise in the block, Reduction of availability of freshwater, Extent of rise in
river water salinity, Extent of mangrove deterioration (loss of species) due to salinity,
Decadal loss of shorelines/permanent inundation area
Geo-physical components Extent of change in tidal patterns leading to river
ENVIRONMENTAL piracy/damage to dykes, Extent of Natural accretion, Extent of subsidence due to
OR NATURAL
compaction, Protective measures (bouldering/cementing) to control erosion
Bio-Geochemical Components Extent of arsenic contamination, % of total
population exposed to arsenic contaminated water, Extent of chemical pollution,
Extent of loss of soil fertility, Mitigation level of existing chemical contamination
Environmental Measures Extent of Integration of Natural hazard Maps
,Implementation of Environmental Protection Act, Extent of Control in Deep
aquifer pumping, Extent of monitoring and Maintenance of environmental database,
Involvement of Scientific communities in Environmental R & D

10
 DATA COLLECTION & APPROACHES

The questionnaire survey was conducted at the Block Level and data were collected according
to our pre-designed framework. The Block Developmental Officers were the major respondent;
however, additional help was also sought from the other concerned officials and published data
& reports. Further, the responders were requested to prioritize the variables as per their local
administrative experiences.

Figure 1: Filling Out the Questionnaire and Prioritization of Variables under Demography Component
(from Canning I Block)

RESULTS

The following pages show and discuss the results for the overall resilience of the region with the
help of spider diagrams and spatial maps for better visual understanding. This is important to
mention that results approaching 5 depicts high resilience and vice versa.

11
 SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESILIENCE

Overall socio-economic resilience is observed to be uniformly poor and can be generally

assigned between ‘very low’ to ‘low’ category. Out of the five components, demography and
livelihood resilience seems to be critical for all the blocks. For example, the average population
density is close to 987/sq.km; extremely high compared to any other coastal rural areas in the
country. Population density in blocks such as Joynagar I (1984/sq. km), Canning I (1586/sq.
km) are alarming. Similarly, average annual growth for blocks of Kultali, Canning I & Canning
II crosses 2% per year. On the other hand, excluding some of the interior blocks, livelihood
scenario of the communities remains extremely vulnerable. Extreme coastal blocks such
as Gosaba, Basanti, Kultali (> 40% of population) heavily survive on the coastal resources.
Particularly, the study coincides aftermath the cyclone ‘Aila’ where majority of the extreme
coastal blocks suffered heavily from livelihood discontinuation due to saline water flooding
of the agricultural lands. However, in statistical term, Socio-economic factors (r =0.48) has
moderate influence in the overall resilience of the region.

12
 PHYSCIAL RESILIENCE

Physical resilience profile of the 19 coastal blocks follows the similar trends of socio-economic
resilience and in general, can be categorized between poor to moderate. This is mostly because
of earthen housing structures, non-availability of potable water, rural electrification and primitive
transportation. However, on the other hand, cyclone ‘Aila’ in 2009 has triggered some positive
changes with 14 new projects of building ‘emergency cyclone shelters’ in the delta is currently
being undertaken. Out of the five components, transportation & electricity has wide spread
variation. While at one hand, blocks such as Joynagar I, Mathurapur I, Canning I, Hasnabad,
Haroa and well connected by railways and formal public transportation network, blocks such as
Sandeshkhali I, Sandeshkhali II, Goasaba remain physically isolated due to lack of well developed
transportation network. The same observation holds true for electricity, although the situation
has improved over the past few years. In general, physical factors have been indentified to have
significant correlation (r=0.68) with the overall resilience.

13
 INSTITUTIONAL RESILEINCE

The institutional resilience also varies significantly and can be generally defined as low to
moderate. Out of the five components, ‘adaptive actions’ and ‘laws & policy’ are the specific
areas that require adequate attention. This is precisely important for the extreme coastal blocks
such as Gosaba, Patharpratima, Sandeshkhali I & II. In cases of these blocks there is an acute
need for adaptation in the sectors such as livelihood, water management etc. Although, there is
a plethora of preventive environmental laws and policies exist, implementation of these policies
is not satisfactory. However, since the Cyclone ‘Aila’, in general, emergency management has
improved considerably with all the blocks having a Disaster Management Plan to deal with
emergencies. Notably, one of the significant achievements since the cyclone ‘Aila’ is that the
local government undertook a community based mangrove plantation program named as
“Green Sundarbans”. Pathapratima, Namkhana are presently under going mangrove plantation
under this project. Institutional factors also remain statistically significant (r=0.8) in the overall
resilience of the region.

14
 COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT

Resilience due to effective coastal zone management (CZM) is a measure of local level
ecosystem conservation, implementation of CZM guidelines and structural competency (earthen
embankments). Interior blocks such as Mathurapur I, Joynagar I are found to highly resilient
since the length of coast lines is limited. Despite of the fact that all these areas were reclaimed
from dense mangrove several years ago, there has been no major alteration of coastal land
since the last 10 years. On the other hand, the observed resilience scores of the extreme coastal
blocks are significantly low compared to the interior blocks (e.g. Gosaba, Sandeshkhali I & II,
Namkhana, Kakdwip). One particular reason is the existence of extensive embankment networks
in these blocks, majority of which are semi-engineered earthen structures that were constructed
over a century ago. These blocks are also challenged with mangrove degradation, heavy violation
of forest rule etc. As a component, CZM has strong correlation (r=0.78) with the composite score
of the blocks.

15
 ENVIRONMENTAL OR NATURAL RESILEINCE

Environmental/Natural Resilience is a measure of the local level variation of natural exposure

from coastal disasters. Consequently, all the extreme coastal blocks show moderate to low
resilience score and almost uniformly exposed to coastal disasters such as cyclones and storm
surges. Likewise, interior blocks are observed to somewhat more resilient compared to the
extreme coastal blocks. However, the eastern coastal blocks such as Gosaba, Sandeshkhali I &
II are further exposed to high soil salinity while the western blocks such as Sagar, Kakdwip are
exposed to severe coastal erosion. Apart from that, significant portion of tube wells in Hasnabad,
Hingolganj used for drinking water purposes have been found arsenic contaminated, although,
the other coastal blocks are found to be safe in this regard. In general, environmental resilience (or
Exposure) has very strong correlation (r=0.78) in the overall resilience.

16
COMPOSITE RESILIENCE

17
 Socio-Economic Resileince Profile
Mathurapur I
Gosaba 5 Joynagar I
Sandeshkhali I 4 Haroa

Kakdwip 3 Namkhana
2
Canning I 1 Joynagar II

0
Hasnabad Mathurapur II

Patharpratima Canning II

shkhal II
Sandeshkhali ltali
Kultali

Physical Resilience Profile Hingolganj Minakhan

Environmental/Natural
Sagar Basanti Resilience Profile
Mathurapur I Mathurapur I
Gosaba 5 Joynagar I Gosaba Joynagar I
5
Sandeshkhali I 4 Haroa Sandeshkhali I 4 Haroa
Kakdwip 3 Namkhana 3
Kakdwip Namkhana
2 Composite 2
Canning I Joynagar II Canning I Joynagar II
1
Resilience Profile 1
0 0
Hasnabad Mathurapur II
Mathurapur I Hasnabad Mathurapur II
Gosaba 5 Joynagar I
Patharpratima Canning II Patharpratima Canning II
Sandeshkhali I 4 Haroa
Sandeshkhali II Kultali 3 Sandeshkhali II Kultali
Kakdwip Namkhana
Hingolganj Minakhan 2 Hingolganj Minakhan
Sagar Basanti Canning I Joynagar II Sagar Basanti
1
0
Hasnabad Mathurapur II

Patharpratima Canning II

Sandeshkhali II Kultali
Hingolganj Minakhan
Sagar Basanti

Mathurapur I Mathurapur I
Gosaba 5 Joynagar I Gosaba 5 Joynagar I
Sandeshkhali I 4 Haroa Sandeshkhali I 4 Haroa
Kakdwip 3 Namkhana 3
Kakdwip Namkhana
2 2
Canning I 1 Joynagar II Canning I Joynagar II
1
0 0
Hasnabad Mathurapur II Hasnabad Mathurapur II

Patharpratima Canning II Patharpratima Canning II

Sandeshkhali II Kultali Sandeshkhali II Kultali

Hingolganj Minakhan Hingolganj Minakhan
Sagar Basanti Sagar Basanti

Instituional Resileince Profile Coastal Zone Management Profile

The study used the weighted mean average to calculate the composite resilience score of the 19
community development blocks. All the obtained resilience scores range from 2.07 and to 4.09.
Using these values as lower and upper limit, the resilience scores were further segregated into
five categories, i.e. Very High (5.0 > 4.0), High (4.0 > 3.5), Moderate (3.5>3.00), Low (3.0>2.5) and
Very Low (2.5>2.0). Consequently, out of the 19 blocks, only one (Mathurapur I) can be classified
as High resilient block, while 7 blocks are classified as moderate resilient and rest of the 11
blocks are classified into low resilient blocks. As discussed, majority of the low resilience blocks
are extreme coastal blocks. Therefore, in general, it can be concluded, community resilience
follows an inversely proportional relationship with the exposure, i.e. communities with low in
Environmental & natural resilience (i.e. high exposure) are less resilient and more prone towards
disaster loss. However, as discussed earlier there are significant contributions of other factors,
especially coastal zone management and involvement of local institutions.

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 PLANNING FOR COASTAL RESILEINCE

The overall resilience profile of the Indian Sundarbans demands an urgent and immediate
attention in order to cope with future disasters as well as the climatic abruption that the
regions will probably face in near future. This has also been figured in the revised coastal
zone management notification of 2011 by the Government of India which declares the Indian
Sundarbans as 'Critically Vulnerable Coastal Area.' The notification has urged the local
government to develop a comprehensive plan to manage the region; however, it requires a
participatory planning approach that emphasizes involving the local community in the strategic
and management processes of region. In view to harmonize different approaches and challenges,
the study conducted several focus group discussions & participatory planning with the local
communities in order to understand the intrinsic vulnerability of the communities, their existing
coping abilities and further to plan for actions that would facilitate the coping abilities of the
communities. Consequently, the study comes up with a set of policy recommendation based on
the field observations and interaction with a huge number of community members, occupational
groups, NGO activist and local leaders. The report specially emphasizes three sectoral areas,
i.e. enhancing the efficiency of the existing participatory mangrove management, integrated
livelihood planning & proactive risk reduction through integrated coastal zone management.

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 POLICY RECOMMENDATION

Enhancing Participatory Mangrove Management

The name Sundarban is synonymous to its heritage mangrove forests. Any regional plan
for Sundarbans, therefore, should provide adequate priority to the mangrove forests.
These mangroves are particularly important from the risk reduction point of view since
it serves as an effective buffer between the land and the water. Mangrove ecosystem
services are vital for the region to arrest soil erosion & promote natural accretion,
providing rich breeding ground of estuarine fishes and to support a number of local
BACKGROUND

livelihoods. Although, there has not been significant degradation of mangroves since
the last three decades, considering the region’s vulnerability, forest cover still need to
be increased, especially along the shorelines. The region has long adopted participatory
mangrove management as a tool to promote community based mangrove management.
At present around 65 Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) consisting
approximately 35,000 members are responsible for the management of nearly 64000 ha
of mangrove forests. However, this arrangement has been partly successful to motivate
the communities to effectively involve in the participatory management. The study
therefore undertook a systematic survey of the JFMCs to understand the existing conflicts
and probable measures to motivate the communities towards effective participation in the
JFM approach. The following sections provide some of the key policy recommendations.

The sole agenda of the participatory forest management in Indian Sundarbans revolves
around the conservation of the existing mangroves & associated bio-diversity through
community ‘policing’. Notably, this approach has been fairly successful since illegal
COORDINATION

poaching & logging have reduced significantly. However, under the existing scenario,
it requires a more proactive approach, i.e. from conservation to restoration and
development of new mangrove areas, especially in the tidal mudflats and along the
embankments. The study observed that such initiatives have been undertaken by the local
government, several NGOs and voluntary groups mostly in an adhoc basis which needs
to governed and categorized by the forest department. Also, a technical wing needs to
be formed to assist such groups. Similarly the ‘Green Sundarban’ Initiative needs to be
closely monitored by the forest department and adequate technical assistance should be
extended in this regard.

The study observed a growing mutual distrust between the Forest officials and the local
fishermen group due to the restriction of access in the core and restricted areas. Of late,
there have been several cases of forest crimes, particularly due to the illegal access in
AWARENESS

the restricted areas. Several fishermen group mentioned that they are not aware of the
demarcation and has been victimized under the circumstances. Consequently, growing
mutual distrust has been a major concern pertaining to effective involvement of the
fishing communities which forms the largest forest user group. Therefore, it is strongly
recommended that a detailed map of ‘go and no go’ areas should be provided along
with the fishing licenses. Proper campaigning should also be made in order to aware the
communities of the possible legal and ecological consequences.

20
 The existing benefit sharing mechanism between the JFMC and the FD needs a major
BENEFIT SHARING restructuring. For example, The Eco-Development Committees (EDCs) now get a revenue
sharing of 25% from the ecotourism which is considered to be on the lower side. On
the other hand, the FPCs do not get any benefits from the eco-tourism. Similarly, there
are persisting issues of the Non timber Forest product prices, especially honey. Honey
collectors are compelled to sell their products to the West Bengal Forest Development
Corporation with a stipulated price (INR 100/kg). Communities claim that the prices are
not competitive with the local markets. Although, such issues are not pertaining to other
forest products such as wax etc, the local forest department needs to provide adequate
attention to market competitiveness of the forest products.

On an institutional dimension, the JFMCs perform under the co-management guidelines

stipulated by the Forest Departments, i.e. the State Forest Department and the Sundarban
Tiger Reserve. However, political interferences have been a major concern for the
MODIFICATIONS
INSTITUTIONAL

selection and performance of the JFMCs. Some of the committees could not be formed
or remain non-functional due to political reasons. Therefore, strict regulation and code
of conduct should be initiated to restrict the undesired political intervention into the
functioning of JFMCs. On the other hand, the focus group discussion with the JFMC
members revealed that they are not necessarily aware of the detailed plans since they
were not involved in the micro-planning process. The forest department, therefore, need
to effectively include the local communities in decision making process.

The mangroves of Sundarban represent a structurally complex ecosystem that is highly

prone to changes in environmental boundary conditions. It requires close monitoring
HUMAN RESOURCES

of environmental & ecological parameters. However, considering the extremely difficult

terrain conditions, monitoring of this ecosystem requires high amount of vigor and
capacity. Therefore, the forest department require adequate human resources which
at present it is lacking. Interviews with higher officials reveal that aging of the local
forest staffs clearly emerging as a threat to constant surveillance. Therefore, it is highly
imperative that the Forest department is properly staffed with compatible human
resources. On the other hand, many organizations and local universities work of several
ecological aspects of the Indian Sundarbans. A possible collaboration and sharing of
information would deeply facilitate quick decision making process.

21
 POLICY RECOMMENDATION

Participatory Planning for livelihood Resilience

Sundarban region is exceptionally vulnerable in terms of its existing livelihood scenario of

the local communities. On an average, 43.5% of the populations of this region live under
the designated poverty line. Mono crop agriculture, primarily rice, form the major form of
livelihood of the communities (approximately 60%), however, saline water flooding in the
BACKGROUND

cyclone ‘Aila’ has drastically reduced the productivity of the coastal agricultural land. On
the other hand, approximately 30% of the local communities depend on estuarine and on-
shore fishing. Fishing is one of the traditional livelihoods of the communities. However,
of late, fishing activities is also simultaneously challenged with drastic reduction (30-50%)
of fish catch. Another section of the communities, precisely, economically marginalized
women group take part in prawn seed collection. The process is poorly rewarding
and ecologically destructive that is believed to be primarily responsible for reduction
of aquatic bio-diversity. The study primarily interacted with these three occupational
groups in order to understand the existing threats and coping mechanism. The following
recommendations are based on the FGDs conducted with these groups.

Both the existing form of agriculture and fishing requires substantial amount of adaptive
measures to cope with climate extremity. Therefore, planning for agricultural adaptation
ADAPTATION

(e.g. cultivation of salinity tolerant species, crop diversification etc) is extremely

necessary. However, this process will require substantial amount of external assistance,
capacity development and training of the vulnerable groups. Further, adaptation measures
will largely vary depending on the socio-economic and individual capacity of the farmers
as well as fishermen. Therefore, prioritization of adaptive actions needs to be integrated
in the regional agricultural and fisheries action plan. There is also a need for creation of
separate adaptation fund in the distirct level.

At present, over 50% of the total agricultural workers are landless labors. Similarly,
ALTERNATIVE

approximately 3-5% of the communities are involved in eco-sensitive livelihood such

LIVELIHOOD

as prawn seed collection. Several researchers has already urged about development of
alternative livelihood for these vulnerable communities. However, these need to reflect in
the regional development plan as a priority. Further, small scale rural initiatives needs to
be supported by the local government through small loans, infrastructural assistance and
subsidies.

Focus Group Discussion with the local fishermen also revealed problem of non-availability
MARKET

of markets and high transportation cost involved to reach the distantly located commercial
facilities. Therefore, development of wholesale markets for large scale transaction of
goods needs to be developed within the extreme coastal blocks. Improvement of the local
transportation facilities is also very important in this regard.

Interaction with several occupational groups revealed that a number of physical facilities
could positively influence the local livelihood scenario. For example, agricultural
FACILITIES

communities revealed that irrigation facilities, seed collection and soil testing laboratories
are extremely important in view of developing their potentials. Similarly, there is also
a need for developing local hatcheries & breeding centers to support local fishermen.
These facilities can be planned through the effective involvement of NGOs & NPOs or
strengthening block offices with adequate human resources and facilities.

22
 Embankment & Vulnerable Area Management

Sundarban is crisscrossed with several tidal rivers, channels and creeks making
it topographically complex and inaccessible. There are approximately 4000 km of
embankments of which 672 km of embankment was fully or partially destructed by the
BACKGROUND

cyclone ‘Aila’ in 2009. Understandably, the entire network of embankment remain at the
central of attention in the management of this low lying delta area. The Government of
West Bengal has launched the ‘Aila damaged embankment reconstruction project which
aims to reconstruct approximately 800 km of vulnerable embankments. This project
is crucial in view of abating future disaster impacts. However, the project is severely
challenged due to non-availability of land. Over the last 5 years, less than 40% of the
requisite land has been acquired. The study provides following policy recommendations
which emerge from the interview of the project officials and the local communities.
LEGAL ISSUES

In view of the vulnerability of the delta, acquisition of the land is extremely crucial.
However, there have been several issues with the existing process of land acquisition. The
study proposes a separate sub-section of the existing land acquisition & rehabilitation
policies to deal with urgent and immediate land acquisition in highly vulnerable (naturally)
areas for larger public interest. Public Hearing & other legal formalities in this regard
should be dealt with immediate priority.

Considering the extreme fragile hydro-geological settings of the delta, a close monitoring
RESEARCH

mechanism should be established to govern the hydrological changes that the delta is
facing today. River course changes, coastal erosion and accretion need to be documented
on regular intervals. Academic and research institutes need to be involved in the overall
delta area management and a strict ‘Lab to Land’ policy need to be adopted.
GREENBELT

As the embankments provide protection to the island, maintenance of the embankment

should be given the first priority. Responsibility of maintaining the embankment can
be shared with the local people. The maintenance procedure should also include
the development and monitoring of coastal greenbelt as proposed the 'Aila Dam
reconstruction project.'

Majority of the existing embankments are earthen and made from the locally available
soil, however, considering the eco-fragility of the region changing of the structural
STRUCTURAL

component is not recommended. In some cases height of the embankments need to be

ISSUES

increased above the existing heights under the clogging of the river beds. Importantly,
embankments are also used as major arterial roads for many islands. Therefore, surface
protection and erosion control of embankments should be dealt with priority. Surface
protection to embankment can be provided in many forms –grass turf, vetiver grass
hedges, stone riprap, concrete slabs, etc.

23
 CANNING - I

Socio-Economic Canning I block consists of 11 Gram Panchayets and the Sub-

Demography divisional headquarters. The existing demographic settings, i.e.
5

Education and
4 high population density (1586 person/sq. km) and decadal growth
3
Livelihood
Awareness
2 rate of 21.82% is the major concern for the block. Since the
1
0 block also host the administrative facilities of the Canning sub-
division, in general, the livelihood scenario of the blocks is better
Community
Governance Health compared to other blocks with around 12% people are involved
in organized sectors. Dependency on coastal resources are
also comparatively less. The block also consist a sub-divisional
Physcial
hospital and some private health care facilities.
Transportation
5
4 Residential
Infrastructure
Water and
3
2
Although the block is connected by rail and road network,
Sanitation 1
0
transportation remains a challenge, especially in the interior
villages. Approximately, 15% of the household has formal
Telecommunica Electricity
electricity connection and 80% of the residential infrastructure is
tion primitive. However, the in spite of that, tele-communication has
majorly improved over the years, almost 70% of the communities
Institutional have mobile phone connection.
Laws and Policy
5
4

Governence
3
Coordination Since the block is centrally located and also hosts the sub-
2
1 divisional headquarters, in general, the emergency response set
0
up & coordination with the other blocks is better that the rest.
Adaptive Emergency However, the block is yet to implement any substantial adaptation
Action Response
actions to cope with its vulnerability.

Coastal Zone Management

Canning I block is located in the transitional zone of the
Embankment Protection
5 Sundarban mangroves. Majority of the mangrove area in this
4 Mangrove
3 Management block is unprotected open forest. Over the past few years, some
Coastal 2
Landuse 1 of the transitional mangroves were lost in this block, although
0
relatively small. The block has an extended stretch of embankment
Coastal Bio-diversity across the river Malta in the South east region, part of which is
Pollution Conservation
being upgraded after the Cyclone ‘Aila’.

Environmental/Natural Canning I block is mainly prone of tidal flooding. The main

Disaster Frequency
5
water areas of the block are now challenged with excessive
Environmental
4
3
Climatic sedimentation and clogging of riverbed. This has resulted in
Action components
2
1
poor navigability and emerged as major threat to tidal flooding.
0
Overtopping of tidal embankments has become more frequent in
recent years. Neither of the domestic tube wells has so far been
Bio- Geophysical
geochemcial component reported of Arsenic or other heavy metal contamination.

24
 CANNING - II

Canning II block consists of 9 Gram Panchayets and is located Socio-Economic

in the North-east of the Canning town, the sub-divisional Demography
5
headquarters. The existing demographic settings, i.e. high Education and
4
3
Livelihood
population density (1156 person/sq. km) and decadal growth rate Awareness
2
1
of 26.82% results in poor demographic resilience of the block. 0

In terms of livelihood, approximately 70% of the communities

Community
depend on mono-crop agriculture and half of the population lives Governance Health

under the designated poverty line. Around 52% of the population

is literate. In terms of health facilities, it has a block health centre,
Physcial
however, the doctor: population ration is very poor.
Transportation
5
4 Residential
3 Infrastructure
Water and
The block is poorly connected and the existing transportation Sanitation
2
1

facility in poor. The length of surfaced road compared to the block 0

size is about 0.26 km/sq. km. Almost 100% of the population

Electricity
can be designated as rural population and suffers from poor Telecommunica
tion
residential infrastructure. Only 3 to 5% of the local households
are having formal electricity collection.
Institutional
Laws and Policy
5
4
The location proximity to the sub-divisional head quarters Governence
3
Coordination
2
is a major cause behind it moderate institutional resilience. 1
0
Emergency response and cordination among the communities are
also satisfactory. However, no intuitional adaptation actions have Adaptive Emergency
Action Response
been initiated by the local government or the village institutions.

Coastal Zone Management

Coastal exposure of Canning II Block is relatively low since it Embankment Protection
5
only faces a small stretch of the river Matla in the South-west 4 Mangrove
3 Management
region. Therefore, no significant interventions into the coastal Coastal 2
Landuse 1
ecosystems were observed in this block. Relatively small stretch 0

of embankment exists in this block and these embankments were

Coastal Bio-diversity
not identified as vulnerable. However, structurally this is over a Pollution Conservation

century old which has been repaired on demand basis.

Environmental/Natural

Canning II block is primarily exposed to cyclonic storms. Disaster Frequency

5

Particularly the rural setting is prone to high winds. The land is Environmental
4
3
Climatic
Action components
stable and there has not been major subsidence and erosion 2
1

incidents occurred in past few years. The ground water is also 0

relatively contamination free. Overall, the natural resilience is

Bio- Geophysical
significantly high compared to its neighboring blocks. geochemcial component

25
 BASANTI

Socio-Economic Basanti Block consists of 13 Gram Panchayets and is located in the

Demography South east of the Canning town, the sub-divisional headquarters.
5

Education and
4 This is also designated as extreme coastal blocks located in the
3
Livelihood
Awareness
2 mangrove buffer areas. The population density (821person/sq.
1
0 km) and decadal growth rate of 19.16% is quite high. Almost the
entire population is rural. In terms of livelihood, over 70% of
Community
Governance Health the communities are involved in agriculture. This block is also
characterized by a huge number (approximately 65%) of BPL
population leading to very poor socio-economic resilience.
Physcial
Transportation
5
4 Residential
3 Infrastructure The block is poorly connected and void of formal transportation
Water and 2
Sanitation 1 network. Approximately 80% of the housing structures are made
0
of earthen structures. In terms of road area, the block has only 0.46
km/sq. km of the total area. Less than 1% of people are having
Telecommunica Electricity
tion electricity connection. Drinking water facilities are also not
adequate. In general, physical resilience of the block is poor.
Institutional
Laws and Policy
5
4 Since the cyclone ‘Aila’ the block has experienced some sort of
3
Governence Coordination
2 institutional strengthening and received good amount of aid and
1
0 attention. However, despite of that institutional intervention in
promoting adaptive action is not experienced.
Adaptive Emergency
Action Response

Coastal Zone Management

Coastal exposure to Basnati Block is very high since the block
Embankment Protection
is surrounded by two major channels, i.e. Matla River and
5
4
Bidya River. The main problem it has experienced is the land
Mangrove
Coastal
3
2
Management use alteration & land encroachment in the highly eco-sensitive
Landuse 1
0
areas, although the length of potentially vulnerable embankment
is relatively small. The block has several Forest Protection
Coastal Bio-diversity Committees performing under the local forest department.
Pollution Conservation
This has made substantial contribution in conservation of the
mangrove forests.
Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5

Environmental
4
3
Climatic Basanti Block is primarily exposed to coastal flooding and storm
Action components
2
1
surges. Rising of inland water salinity is also a potential concern
0
for the local fishermen. However, the ground water of the block is
void of arsenic and heavy metal contamination. Also, the majority
Bio- Geophysical
geochemcial component area of this block is not prone to natural subsidence.

26
 GOSABA

Gosaba block is located at the fringe of the Sundarban mangrove Socio-Economic

forest and also a significant part of this block is covered under the Demography
5
mangroves. The Block consists of 15 Gram Panchayets. Population Education and
4
3
Livelihood
density (825 person/sq. km) and decadal growth rate of 9.83% is Awareness
2
1
high and moderate respectively. The entire population is rural. In 0

terms of livelihood, the block is exceptionally vulnerable. Over,

Community
70% of the population is dependent on agriculture and rests are Governance Health

involved in fishing and prawn seed collection. The block lives in

isolation and livelihood opportunities are very limited. Overall,
Physcial
the socio-economic resilience is observed to be poor.
Transportation
5
4 Residential
Infrastructure
The block is very poorly connected through semi-mechanized Water and
3
2
Sanitation
boats. In the islands, no formal motorized public transportation 1
0

is unavailable. Less than 1% of the communities have formal

electricity connection and the islands are yet to be connected to Telecommunica Electricity
the main supply grids. Over 80% of the housing is vulnerable tion

to storms and flooding. Although, approximately 65% of the

communities have access to mobile phones, telecommunication Institutional
facilities are not up to the satisfactory limit. Laws and Policy
5
4
3
Governence Coordination
2
Physical isolation plays also an important role in Gosaba’s poor 1
0
institutional resilience. Implementation of laws and policies are
also another critical issue under the depleting resources and poor Adaptive Emergency
Action Response
socio-economic condition.

Coastal Zone Management

Gosaba is one of the extreme coastal blocks and coastal
Embankment Protection
exposure is very high. The block is entirely surrounded by earthen 5
4 Mangrove
embankments which posses a formidable challenge. Many of its 3 Management
Coastal 2
embankments were destroyed during the past cyclone leading Landuse 1
0
to prolonger flooding. Gosaba has several Eco-Development
Committees for bio-diversity conservation, especially tigers. The Coastal Bio-diversity
Pollution Conservation
problem of man animal conflict in this block is acute.

Gosaba block is exposed to all sort of coastal hazards. The primary Environmental/Natural

concern is the tidal and surge flooding. However, existence of Disaster Frequency
5

the great Sundarban mangroves provides a strong buffer to the Environmental

4
3
Climatic
Action components
wind hazards. It is also experiencing severe coastal erosion and 2
1

changes of river courses. Salinity has become a major problem in 0

recent years. Ground water is, in general, free from heavy metal
Bio- Geophysical
or arsenic contamination. geochemcial component

27
 KAKDWIP

Socio-Economic Kakdwip block is located in the South western part of Indian

Demography Sundarban in the bank of Hooghly River. The block consists 11
5

Education and
4 Gram Panchayets and the Kakdwip sub-divisional township. The
3
Livelihood
Awareness
2 block experiences high population density (1133 person/ sq. km)
1
0 with a decadal growth rate of close to 19.64%. Approximately,
53% of the population is dependent on agriculture. It also hosts
Community
Governance Health a good amount of fishing communities. Apart from the Kakdwip
Township which also serves as the head quarter of Kakdwip sub-
division, the entire population is rural.
Physcial
Transportation
5 The block is connected through roads and railways. The amount
4 Residential
3 Infrastructure of available road is 1.21 km/sq, km of the block area which is
Water and 2
Sanitation 1 significantly high compared to other blocks. However, the interior
0
rural areas are not very well connected. Approximately 12 % of
the population, mainly residing in the township is having access
Telecommunica Electricity
tion to electricity. Most of the communities are having mobile phones
and formal communication medium such as television and radio.
Institutional
Laws and Policy The observed institutional resilience for this block can be
5
4 categorized between poor to moderate. Part of this evolves from
3
Governence Coordination
2 the ineffective implementation of laws and policies. Similar to the
1
0 other blocks in the region, emergency response mechanism has
improved since Cyclone “Aila’.
Adaptive Emergency
Action Response

Kakdwip has significant coastal exposure since it has long

Coastal Zone Management
strength of embankments across the river Hooghly in the
Embankment Protection
west and Saptamukhi in the South. The embankment scenario
5
4
is comparatively better to other blocks and also only a small
Mangrove
Coastal
3
2
Management stretch was breached during Aila. Despite of an entry point to the
Landuse 1
0
Sundarbans, mangrove cover of this area is significantly low.
The Kakdwip Township also causes substantial water pollution
Coastal Bio-diversity in the adjoining rivers since it does not possess any waste water
Pollution Conservation
treatment plant. Also, some of the villges are dangerously close
to the river.
Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5
Kakdwip is primarily exposed to coastal erosion and has high
Environmental
4
3
Climatic flooding potential. River bank erosion is also an identified as
Action components
2
1
a major threat for the block under the changing hydrological
0
scenario of the river Hooghly. However, the block does not suffer
from ground water contamination with arsenic or other heavy
Bio- Geophysical
geochemcial component metals.

28
 SAGAR

Sagar is an extreme coastal block situated in the western part of Socio-Economic

the delta. The population density of the block is 748 person/sq km Demography
5
and the decadal growth rate is 13.71%. Approximately, 75% of the Education and
4
3
Livelihood
communities are involved in mono crop agriculture. However, Awareness
2
1
religious tourism has substantial positive impact in the local 0

economy. Sagar has one of the highest literacy rates in the delta.
Community
In general, the socio-economic scenario is comparatively better Governance Health

than the other extreme coastal blocks.

Physcial
The entire block of Sagar represents islands communities and
Transportation
suffers from geographical isolation. The only way to enter the 5
4 Residential
block is through waterways and the transportation is not well 3 Infrastructure
Water and 2
developed. However, the block has a well developed arterial road Sanitation 1
0
with formal transportation such as bus, car etc. The road density
is 0.59 km/sq/km. Close to 2% of the people have electricity
Telecommunica Electricity
connection, however, the situation is expected to improve as the tion

island have been recently connected to the main power grids.

Rural infrastructure such as mud houses is the major concern for Institutional
this block. Laws and Policy
5
4
3
Governence Coordination
Sagar has a well established emergency response and coordination 2
1
mechanism, presumably due to the annual religious event that it 0

hosts. However, in general, implementation of CZM notification

Adaptive Emergency
and other environmental regulations are poor. Despite of the Action Response

blocks vulnerability, adaptation mechanism are also not in place.

Coastal Zone Management

Sagar is surrounded by rivers ( Gabtala River in the west and Embankment Protection
Muriganga River in the east) and faces the Bay of Bengal in the 5
4 Mangrove
south. The main island of Sagar is protected by sea and river Coastal
3
2
Management

dykes and maintenance of these facilities is of major concern. Landuse 1

0
Some of the embankments were damaged during the cyclone ‘Aila’
and presently being reconstructed. Coastal Bio-diversity
Pollution Conservation

Sagar is primarily exposed to severe coastal erosion and the

projected sea level rise implies a grave concern for the block. It is Environmental/Natural

also equally exposed to coastal flooding and storm surges as well Disaster Frequency
5

as high wind events. The main islands and some other nearby Environmental
4
3
Climatic
Action components
small islands are probably undergoing a geological subsidence 2
1

leading to a rapid coastal erosion and loss of land. However, 0

the block is free from bio-geochemical hazards such as arsenic

Bio- Geophysical
contamination etc. geochemcial component

29
 NAMKHANA

Socio-Economic Namkhana is an extreme coastal block in the Kakdwip sub-

Demography division. The block consists of 7 Gram Panchayets with a
5

Education and
4 population density of 491 person/sq. km. The decadal growth rate
3
Livelihood
Awareness
2 is also moderate 13.22%. Approximately, 65% of the communities
1
0 are involved in agriculture and rests are involved in estuarine
fishing. The block is predominantly rural, however, part of this
Community
Governance Health block such as Namkhana and Bakkhali are now being developed
as small townships. The block is characterized by high amount of
poverty with approximately half of the population is living below
Physcial
the poverty line. .
Transportation
5
4 Residential
Infrastructure
Water and
3
2
Namkhana is connected by road and water ways; however, it is
Sanitation 1
0
difficult to reach some of the remote islands such as Mousuni.
Approximately 6% of the population has formal electricity
Telecommunica Electricity
connection. In general, the population has safe drinking water
tion supply in terms of availability of tube wells. The block is covered
through both private and government telecommunication
Institutional network and over 70% of the population has access to mobile
Laws and Policy phones.
5
4
3
Governence Coordination
2
1 The institutional resilience of this block is moderate. Similar
0
to the neighboring blocks, it requires substantial institutional
Adaptive Emergency intervention to promote adaptive actions. In general, coordination
Action Response
mechanism among the adjacent blocks and higher level of
government is well established.
Coastal Zone Management
Embankment Protection
5 Namkhana block is surrounded by several creeks and river
4 Mangrove
3 Management channels and faces the sea in the south. The Henry’s island in the
Coastal 2
Landuse 1 southern tip of the block maintains a thick greenbelt of mangroves
0
which undoubtedly increases its resilience from storm surges. The
Coastal Bio-diversity block also host several protected areas of mangroves. However,
Pollution Conservation
similar to other coastal blocks, maintenance of extensive
embankment network remain as a crucial challenge.
Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5
Namkhana is located at the central tip of the delta and exposed
Environmental
4
3
Climatic to severe cyclones and tidal flooding. This is also one of the
Action components
2
1
extremely affected blocks in the cyclone Aila. The area is further
0
prone to erosion and rising salinity of the inland waters. However,
the region is not exposed to acute bio-geochemical hazards such
Bio- Geophysical
geochemcial component as arsenic or heavy metal contamination in ground water.

30
 PATHARPRATIMA

Pathar Pratima block is located in south central region of the Socio-Economic

Indian Sundarbans. The block consists 15 Gram Panchayets. The Demography
5
existing density of population is about 689 person/sq. km. The Education and
4
3
Livelihood
decadal growth rate is 15.71, considerable high for a rural coastal Awareness
2
1
area. Close to 65% of the communities are involved in agriculture 0

and almost half of the population survive below the designated

Community
poverty line. However, close to 74% of the people are literate and Governance Health

well aware of their existing vulnerability.

Physcial
The block is connected through roads and waterways. The amount Transportation
5
of available road is 0.23 km/sq, km of the block area which is 4 Residential
3 Infrastructure
significantly poor compared to other coastal blocks. Informal Water and 2
Sanitation 1
semi-motorized vehicles & boats are the lifeline for local people. 0

Particularly, G-spot and other extreme coastal areas are highly

inaccessible. The block has less than 1% of house hold electricity Telecommunica Electricity
connection, however, localized solar power are extensively used tion

by the communities.
Institutional
Laws and Policy
The observed institutional resilience for this block can be 5
4

categorized between poor to moderate. Part of this evolves from Governence

3
2
Coordination

the effective implementation of laws and policies. However, 1

0

similar to the other blocks in the region, emergency response

mechanism has improved since Cyclone “Aila’. Adaptive
Action
Emergency
Response

Similar to the other coastal blocks, Pathar Prratima block has high
Coastal Zone Management
coastal exposure. The block is surrounded by Takhurani River in
Embankment Protection
the east and Saptamukhi River in the west. The Southern part of 5
4
the block consists of small deltaic islands crisscrossed by several 3
Mangrove
Management
Coastal 2
tidal creeks. Therefore, embankments are the lifeline of this Landuse 1
0
blocks. However, following the cyclone Aila, the majority of the
embankment need to be reconstructed and require improvement. Coastal Bio-diversity
Pollution Conservation
The block has significant mangrove forests in its southern tip
which is being protected by the forest department.
Environmental/Natural

Due to its geographical location, this block is severely exposed to Disaster Frequency
5

coastal& surge flooding. Tidal flooding is also a mjor concern for Environmental
4
3
Climatic
Action components
this block. Part of this block is also experiencing coastal erosions. 2
1

The projected consequences of climate change may have 0

significant adverse impact of this block. However, the block is free

Bio- Geophysical
of bio-geochemical contamination. geochemcial component

31
 JOYNAGAR - I

Socio-Economic Joynagar I block is located in the middle mature delta and

Demography consists of 12 Gram Panchayet. The block is under the Baruipur
5

Education and
4 Sub-division and represents a mixed population of rural and
3
Livelihood
Awareness
2 semi-urban settlements. Joynagar I has the highest population
1
0 density (1984 person/sq.km) with a decadal growth rate of
18.66. Approximately, 33% of the communities are involved in
Community
Governance Health agricultural sector. Joynagar has a relatively better health facilities
compared to the other blocks.

Physcial
Transportation
5 Joynagar I block is well connected via rail and road networks.
4 Residential

Water and
3 Infrastructure Formal transportation facilities exist in almost every corner of
2
Sanitation 1 the block. Although, some of the interior villages are difficult to
0
reach by formal mean of transportation. Approximately 15.21% of
the local populations have access to electricity. Joynagar I is also
Telecommunica Electricity
tion the highest amount of people having access to supplied drinking
water. Over 80% of the communities have access to mobile
Institutional phones, radio or television.
Laws and Policy
5
4
3
Governence Coordination
2
1
Due to the close proximity to the state capital, both the
0
c o o r d i n a t i o n a n d e m e r g e n c y r e s p o n s e m e ch a n i s m a r e
Adaptive Emergency
satisfactory. However, implementation of laws and policies is
Action Response identified as a major challenge.

Coastal Zone Management

Embankment Protection Joynagar I block has significantly less coastal exposure. The
5
4 Mangrove
Hobka Cannel flows through the north of the block. There is only
Coastal
3
2
Management a small stretch of embankment. Particularly, the embankments of
Landuse 1
0
this block did not suffer much damage in the Cyclone ‘Aila”. The
block has a small patch of unprotected mangroves in the south
Coastal Bio-diversity
Pollution Conservation
east, however, significant conservation imitative exists at present.

Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5
Due to its interior location in the middle mature delta, the
Environmental
4
3
Climatic block is relatively less exposed to coastal hazards. The block is
Action components
2
1
primarily get affected by wind hazards. However, block is partially
0
contaminated by arsenic in some of the tube wells. There is no
major observed or predicted impact of climate change on this
Bio- Geophysical
geochemcial component block.

32
 JOYNAGAR-II

Joynagar II block is located in the south of the middle mature Socio-Economic

delta under the Baruipur sub-division. The block consists of 10 Demography
5
Gram Panchayets. Almost the entire population is rural excluding Education and
4
3
Livelihood
the sub-urban areas of Joynagar. The block is densely populated Awareness
2
1
(1326 person/sq.km) and experiences a decadal growth rate of 0

18.06%. The choice of livelihood is limited. More than half of the

Community
existing population lives on agriculture. Approximately, 42.6% Governance Health

people live under the designated poverty line.

Physcial
In general, Joynagar II block is well connected via road and Transportation
5
railways. The Joynagar-Majilpur station on the Seladah 4 Residential
3 Infrastructure
Lakshmikantapur railway serves the gateway of the block. Over Water and 2
Sanitation 1
90% of the population lives in rural areas and live in earthen or 0

semi structured houses. Only 5.80% of the population has formal

electricity connection, although many of the communities use Telecommunica Electricity
tion
personalized solar electricity facilities. Similar to other blocks,
majority of the communities have access to mobile phones, TV or
Institutional
radio.
Laws and Policy
5
4
3
Governence Coordination
In general, these blocks show similar institutional resilience 2
1
to Joynagar I block and take the advantage of being at close 0

proximity to the district and sub-divisional head quarters.

Adaptive Emergency
Coordination with NGOs & research organization such as ICAR Action Response

is also very satisfactory. The Nimpeeth Krishi Vigyan Kendra, an

NGO & technical consutant has worked extensively with the block
Coastal Zone Management
administration in promoting agricultural adaptation.
Embankment Protection
5
4 Mangrove
3 Management
Joynagar II is surrounded by creeks and small channels, Coastal
Landuse
2
1
especially Moni River and Hobka Khal in the west and east 0

respectively. The eastern side of the block is entirely covered by

Coastal Bio-diversity
earthen embankments; part of which has been demarcated as Pollution Conservation

vulnerable. There has also a bit of sparse mangrove vegetation

which remains unprotected.
Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5

Exposure to Coastal Hazards is significantly low, primarily due to Environmental

4
3
Climatic
Action components
its location in the middle mature delta. However, southern part 2
1

of the block was heavily impacted by river flooding due to the 0

cyclone ‘Aila’. The block is void of major heavy metal or arsenic

Bio- Geophysical
contamination. geochemcial component

33
 KULTALI

Socio-Economic The block Kultali stretches from middle mature delta to the active
Demography delta area and consists of 11 Gram Panchayets. Kultali block has
5

Education and
4 predominantly rural communities with a population density of 757
3
Livelihood
Awareness
2 person/sq. km. The decadal growth rate is 23.33%; significantly
1
0 high compared to the other coastal blocks. More than 70% of
the communities are involved in mono crop agriculture. Close to
Community
Governance Health 46.36% of the population lives under the poverty line. The block
has been infamous for law & order problem creating conflicts
among the communities.
Physcial
Transportation
5
Residential
4
3 Infrastructure
Kultali block is connected through a major arterial road; however,
Water and
Sanitation
2
1
formal public transportation in this road is rare. Almost half of
0
the population has access over drinking water facilities, however,
only <1% has access to electricity. Over 70% of the communities
Electricity
Telecommunica
tion
have access to mobile phones, TV or radios. The majority of the
local houses are semi-engineered earthen structures.
Institutional
Laws and Policy
5 Implementation of laws and policies is a substantial challenge
4

Governence
3
Coordination for the local administration. However, emergency response has
2
1 substantially improved since the cyclone ‘Aila’. The block is yet
0
to implement any formal structured adaptation measures. Lack
Adaptive Emergency of human capacity in the block administration is also a major
Action Response
challenge.

Coastal Zone Management

Embankment Protection Kultali block is surrounded by rivers. Matla River flows south to
5
4 Mangrove the block. It has a long stretch of embankments facing the Matla
3 Management
Coastal 2 River, part of which has been restored after cyclone ‘Aila’. The
Landuse 1
0 block also has several Forest Protection Committees in order
to protect and conserve the mangrove forests. In general, the
Coastal Bio-diversity
Pollution Conservation functions of FPCs are satisfactory, however, in some cases the
forest cover has marginally reduced. There are some problems
with illegal settlement across the river embankments.
Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5

Environmental
4
3
Climatic Kultali block is primarily exposed to coastal flooding. The southern
Action components
2
1
tip of the block was inundated during the cyclone Aila and a large
0
portion of the coastal land was eroded. The changing river track of
Matla near Kaikhali is also an identified phenomenon. There is no
Bio- Geophysical
geochemcial component reported arsenic contamination in this block.

34
 MATHURAPUR-I

Mathurapur I block is located in the middle mature delta under Socio-Economic

the Diamond Harbor sub-division. The block consists of 10 Gram Demography
5
Panchayets. Population density of this block is 1318 person/sq km. Education and
4
3
Livelihood
The block also experiences a decadal population growth 17.87%. Awareness
2
1
Approximately 46% of the populations are involved in agriculture. 0

34% people live under the designated poverty line which is

Community
significantly low compared to the other blocks of Sundarbans. Governance Health

Physcial
Transportation
The block is well connected by road and railways. The available 5
4 Residential
road length/sq. km of land area is approximately 2.06. Nearly 3 Infrastructure
Water and 2
12% of the people have formal electricity connection while more Sanitation 1
0
than 50% of the population has access to drinking water supply.
Almost the entire community has access to television, radio or
Telecommunica Electricity
mobile phones. tion

Institutional
Laws and Policy
5
Coordination between the blocks and with other implementing 4
3
Governence Coordination
agencies is substantially good for this block. This is primarily due 2
1
to close proximity to the head quarters and land connectivity. The 0

block has an emergency management plan in place. However,

Adaptive Emergency
similar to the local administrative scenario, implementation of Action Response

laws and policies remain significant challenge.

Coastal Zone Management

Embankment Protection
5
4 Mangrove
Mathurapur I has only a small stretch of embankment in the south Coastal
3
2
Management

of the block. These embankments are not classified as vulnerable; Landuse 1

0
also it did not suffer major damage in the cyclone ‘Aila’. The block
does not possess significant amount of mangroves or designated Coastal Bio-diversity
Pollution Conservation
forest land. However, there are scope for mangrove plantation.

Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5

Although it is a designated block under the Sundarban region, Environmental

4
3
Climatic
Action components
the block is relatively less exposed that any other blocks in the 2
1

region. It only faces significant wind hazards and some occasional 0

flooding. No major incidents of land erosion or land subsidence

Bio- Geophysical
were recorded in this block. geochemcial component

35
MATHURAPUR-II

Socio-Economic Mathurapur II block is located under the Diamond Harbor sub-

Demography division. The block has a population density of close to 1000
5

Education and
4 person/sq km. The decadal population growth has been 10.72%,
3
Livelihood
Awareness
2 relatively low compared to the other blocks. Approximately
1
0 40% of the population lives under the poverty line. Agricultural
community consist amount 63% of the local population.
Community
Governance Health

Physcial
Transportation Mathurapur II is connected by roadways; however, connectivity
5
4 Residential to the interior blocks is poor. The length of surfaced road/sq km is
3 Infrastructure
Water and 2 only 0.60. Approximately 6% of the communities have household
Sanitation 1
0 electricity connection while more than 50% of the population has
access to safe drinking water.
Telecommunica Electricity
tion

Institutional
Laws and Policy Institutional resilience profile of the block is similar to the
5
4 neighboring blocks. The block has an emergency management
3
Governence Coordination
2 plan in place. The existing coordination mechanism is also good
1
0 due to its proximity and land connectivity to the administrative
headquarters.
Adaptive Emergency
Action Response

Coastal Zone Management

Embankment Protection
5
Mathurapur II has moderate coastal exposure. There is a long
4
3
Mangrove stretch of embankment across the Raidighi River located in the
Management
Coastal
Landuse
2
1
South of the Block. These stretches of embankment are relatively
0 safe and did not suffer much in the cyclone ‘Aila’. However, the
block does not possess significant mangrove or forest cover and
Coastal Bio-diversity
Pollution Conservation there is scope of mangrove plantation.

Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5

Environmental
4
3
Climatic The block is relative less exposed to coastal hazards with
Action components
2
1
moderate frequency of flooding. The immediate threat comes
0
from high wind event. However, the block is experiencing river
bank erosion in the south. The block is free of bio-geochemical
Bio- Geophysical
geochemcial component hazards.

36
 SANDESHKHALI-I

Sandeshkhali I block is located in the Bashirhat Subdivision Socio-Economic

under the North 24 Parganas. This riparian block has a population Demography
5
density of 901 perosn/sq. km with a decadal population growth of Education and
4
3
Livelihood
16.88%. Close to 60% of the population live under the designated Awareness
2
1
poverty line. Approximately, 63% of the population lives on 0

agriculture. Approximately 59% of the communities are literate.

Community
Sandehkhali I has extremely limited health facilities. Governance Health

Physcial
Sandeshkhali I is connected by road and waterways, although
Transportation
the interior villages are only connected through waterways. The 5
4 Residential
block has the road density of 1.14 km/sq km. Domestic electrify 3 Infrastructure
Water and 2
connection is rare; however, many uses personalized solar Sanitation 1
0
facilities .The existing residential and housing facilities are mostly
earthen, making it highly vulnerable to coastal hazards.
Telecommunica Electricity
tion

The inaccessible location of the block has been a major Institutional

drawback in the emergency response mechanism adopted by Laws and Policy

5
the block administration. However, the block prepared a disaster 4
3
Governence Coordination
management plan after the cyclone Aila. 2
1
0

Adaptive Emergency
Action Response
The block has significant coastal exposure. The block is
surrounded by rivers and creeks and survives on a peripheral
embankment. The eastern part of the block has experienced Coastal Zone Management
embankment failure during the cyclone ‘Aila’. Majority of those Embankment Protection
is yet to be properly reconstructed. The block has several altered 5
4 Mangrove
land for coastal shrimp cultivations adding to its vulnerability. Coastal
3
2
Management

Despite of significant mangrove cover, majority of it are not Landuse 1

0
protected.
Coastal Bio-diversity
Pollution Conservation

Sandehkhali I has high coastal exposure and primarily exposed to

coastal flooding, storm surges and high wind events. The block is Environmental/Natural

also among the most impacted blocks in cyclone Aila. River bank Disaster Frequency
5

erosion and changing of river courses are of primary concern Environmental

4
3
Climatic
Action components
for this block, especially near Dhamakhali, the entry point and 2
1

commercial centre of the block. Apart from that, approximately 0

0.6% of the existing tube wells have arsenic contamination

Bio- Geophysical
leading to bio-geochemical hazards. geochemcial component

37
SANDESHKHALI-II

Socio-Economic Sandeshkhali II is located in the Bashirhat sub-division and to the

Demography north of the Gosaba block. The block consists 8 Gram Panchayets.
5

Education and
4 The block has a population density of 816 person/sq. km and
3
Livelihood
Awareness
2 the decadal population growth in 17.98%. Close to 60% of the
1
0 existing population live below the designated poverty line. Nearly
65% of the populations live on agriculture. Sandeshkhali II has
Community
Governance Health also extremely limited health care facilities making this block
exceptionally vulnerable on socio-economic front.

Physcial
Transportation
5 Sandehkhali II is connected by roads and waterways. Most of
4 Residential
3 Infrastructure the locations under this block can only be reached by semi-
Water and 2
Sanitation 1 motorized boats. The block consists road areas of nearly 0.14
0
km/sq km. Similar to the adjacent blocks, the existing residential
infrastructure are high vulnerable and made of semi-engineered
Telecommunica Electricity
tion earthen houses. However, more than 60% of the population have
mobile phone and have access to radio.
Institutional
Laws and Policy
5
4 Sandeshkhali II is among the most impacted blocks in the Cyclone
3
Governence Coordination
2 Aila. Since then, the institutional mechanism has vastly improved.
1
0 The block maintains an emergency action plan. However, similar
to the regional scenario, efforts for institutional adaptation are yet
Adaptive Emergency
Action Response to be initiated.

Coastal Zone Management

Embankment Protection
Sandehskhali II is surrounded by rivers and creeks. It faces the
5
4
Bidya River in the South. The eastern part of the block has a huge
Mangrove
Coastal
3
2
Management stretch of vulnerable embankment which was destructed during
Landuse 1
0
the cyclone ‘Aila’. Sandehkhali II also has substantial amount of
mangrove forest. Especially in the southern villages of the blocks
Coastal Bio-diversity have several patches of mangrove. In general, the mangroves are
Pollution Conservation
well conserved.

Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5
Sandeshkhali II receives very high exposure from all sorts of
Environmental
4
3
Climatic coastal hazards. The block was affected by storm and floods
Action components
2
1
during the cyclone ‘Aila’. Change of land use in terms of
0
development of shrimp & aquaculture ponds further adds to its
vulnerability. A small number of shallow tubewells are arsenic
Bio- Geophysical
geochemcial component contaminated, however, they are well segregated.

38
 MINAKHAN

Minakhan is located in the eastern part of the Sundarban delta Socio-Economic

under the Bashirhat sub-division. The block has a staggering Demography
5
density of 1208person/sq km and experiences a decadal Education and
4
3
Livelihood
population growth of 13.58%. Close to 55% of the local Awareness
2
1
communities are engaged in agriculture. The block also has 0

significant amount of BPL population. In general, the observed

Community
socio-economic resilience can be defined as poor. Governance Health

Physcial
Minakhan is connected by roads & waterways. However, the Transportation

interior areas are difficult to reach in absence of formal road 5

4 Residential
Infrastructure
network. The average road area is about 0.38 km/sq km. Close to Water and
3
2
Sanitation
27% of the local communities has access to electricity. Compared 1
0

to the other blocks, the residential infrastructure is slightly better.

Majority of the community members have access to mobile Telecommunica Electricity
phones and radio or TV. tion

Institutional
Laws and Policy
The administrative headquarter of this block is well connected to 5
4
the district headquarters by an all weather road ensuring good Governence
3
Coordination
2
coordination. In general, the observed institutional resilience is 1
0
comparable to its neighboring blocks.
Adaptive Emergency
Action Response

The block is crisscrossed by several small tidal creeks. Bidyadhari

Coastal Zone Management
Khal marks the western border to the block while Netia Khal
Embankment Protection
marks the boundary in the east. The block has long stretches of 5
4 Mangrove
embankment; approximately 30% of them are vulnerable and 3 Management
Coastal 2
were damaged during the Aila. Particularly, the block experiences Landuse 1
0
severe alteration of land use due to the creation of aquaculture
ponds. Similarly discharge of untreated Kolkata city sewage Coastal Bio-diversity
Pollution Conservation
severely pollutes the tidal water bodies.

Environmental/Natural

Majority of the existing block area is not exposed to coastal Disaster Frequency
5

hazards. However, the southern parts of the block, especially, Environmental

4
3
Climatic
Action components
along the ri ver are prone to erosion and ri ver flooding. 2
1

The transitional salinity is a major issue for the local fishing 0

communities which have also been considered as a major treat

Bio- Geophysical
under climate change. geochemcial component

39
 HAROA

Socio-Economic Haroa block is located in the north of Minakhan under the

Demography Bashirhat Sub-division. The block consists of 9 Gram Panchayets
5

Education and
4 and has a population density of 1403 person/sq. km. It also
3
Livelihood
Awareness
2 experiences a decadal growth rate of 17.38%. Close to 50% of the
1
0 communities are involved in agriculture. Haroa has significantly
low BPL population ( nearly 33%) compared to the adjacent
Community
Governance Health blocks.

Physcial
Transportation
5 Haroa is well connected by rail and road networks. The block
4 Residential
3 Infrastructure has one of the highest road densities (nearly 2.11 km/sq km of
Water and 2
Sanitation 1 the total area) in Sundarban area. Approximately 60% of the
0
communities have access to electricity. Most of community
members have access to mobile phones, radio and TVs. Also, the
Telecommunica Electricity
tion residential infrastructure is significantly better compared to the
other blocks.
Institutional
Laws and Policy
5
4
3
Governence Coordination
2 Due to close proximity of the district headquarters (Barsat)
1
0 and sub-visional headquarters (Bashirhat), the block is good in
terms of coordination and governance. In general, the observed
Adaptive Emergency
Action Response institutional resilience is comparable to the interior blocks.

Coastal Zone Management

Embankment Protection
5
4
Haroa has relative small coastal exposure. The Bidyadhari Khal
Mangrove
Coastal
3
2
Management (canal) flows through the western part of the block. There is a
Landuse 1
0
little stretch of vulnerable embankments. Although the block does
not have significant amount of mangrove forests, in general, no
Coastal Bio-diversity further degradation has been reported in recent years. In also has
Pollution Conservation
relatively small areas designated to shrimp farming activities.

Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5

Environmental
4
3
Climatic In general, the environmental and natural resilience of Haroa is
Action components
2
1
significantly high compared to other blocks in this region. The
0
block is moderately exposed to flood and high winds. However,
the block has some problem with the ground water arsenic
Bio- Geophysical
geochemcial component contamination.

40
 HASNABAD

Hasnabad block is located in the northeastern corner of Indian Socio-Economic

Sundarbans bordering Bangladesh. It consists of 10 Gram Demography
5
Panchayets and also hosts the Hasnabad Township; the sub- Education and
4
3
Livelihood
divisional headquarters of Bashirhat. The block has a high Awareness
2
1
population density (1286 person/sq. km) and 36% of the local 0

communities are involved in agriculture. The block is located in

Community
the border area. Several issues such as trans-boundary migration, Governance Health

illegal settlements are majorly responsible for poor community

participation in developmental agendas.
Physcial
Transportation
5
4 Residential
Infrastructure
Hasnabad town is well connected by road and railways. However, Water and
3
2
Sanitation
interior villages are isolated and the formal road coverage is only 1
0

about 0.37 km/sq.km. Close to 65% of the local households have

formal electricity connections. However, residential infrastructures Telecommunica Electricity
are vulnerable as majority of the communities live in earthen tion

housing. Almost 75% of the communities have access to mobile

phone, radio or TV. Institutional
Laws and Policy
5
4
3
Governence Coordination
2
Hasnabad being a border area, constantly faces law and order 1
0
problems. The local administration is poised of several challenges,
particularly conflicts among the communities. Adaptive Emergency
Action Response

Coastal Zone Management

Hasnabad has high coastal exposure, particularly in the eastern
Embankment Protection
part of the block. The river zone also faces the problem of 5
4 Mangrove
industrial pollution and forcible occupation of land by people. 3 Management
Coastal 2
This has resulted in several adverse consequences in the local Landuse 1
0
bio-diversity. The existing small patches of mangroves and
other coastal forests are highly vulnerable under the human Coastal Bio-diversity
Pollution Conservation
encroachment. Hasnabad has also had substantial amount of
lands diverted to aquaculture ponds.
Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5

The river Icchamati marks the eastern boundary of the block. This Environmental
4
3
Climatic
Action components
transboundary river has undergone severe siltation which exerts 2
1

significant risk of riparian flooding. The river is also undergoing 0

natural course changes along with changes in water quality.

Bio- Geophysical
Hasnabad is also a designated arsenic contaminated block. geochemcial component

41
 HINGOLGANJ

Socio-Economic Hingolganj block is located the eastern corner of Indian

Demography Sundarbans bordering Bangladesh. The block has a moderate
5

Education and
4 population density of 668 person/sq. km. Close to 60% of the
3
Livelihood
Awareness
2 communities are involved in agriculture while 45% of the local
1
0 communities live under the designated poverty line. The health
conditions are also not satisfactory. However, on a positive note,
Community
Governance Health more than 70% of the communities are literate.

Physcial
Transportation
5 Hingolganj is connected through roads and waterways. The
Residential
4
3 Infrastructure
majority of the block is extremely difficult to reach. The road
Water and
Sanitation
2
1
density of Hingolganj is 0.21km/sq km. approximately 25% of
0
the local population has domestic electricity connection and the
residential infrastructure is in general poor. Approximately 50% of
Electricity
Telecommunica
tion
the communities have access to mobile phones, radio or TV.

Institutional
Laws and Policy
5 The observed institutional resilience is comparable to the
4

Governence
3
Coordination neighboring blocks. As a bordering block, enforcement of
2
1 laws and policies remain the major challenge of the local
0
administration.
Adaptive Emergency
Action Response

Coastal Zone Management Hingolganj is surrounded by river and creeks in its four sides.
Embankment Protection Icchamati River marks the eastern boundary of the block. The
5
4 Mangrove block survives due to long stretches of earthen embankments,
3 Management
Coastal 2 significant length of which was breached during cyclone ‘Aila’ in
Landuse 1
0 the Southern corner of the block. Presently, the embankments are
being reconstructed. The block does not host significant amount
Coastal Bio-diversity
Pollution Conservation of mangrove or other coastal forests, however, anthropogenic
interventions of forests is relatively less.

Environmental/Natural
Disaster Frequency
5

Environmental
4
3
Climatic Hingolganj is severely exposed to storms and river flooding. It is
Action components
2
1
also one of the worst affected blocks in Cyclone Aila. Similar to
0
the neighboring Bashirhat Block, heavy siltation in the riverbed
of Icchamati also exerts similar risk of riparian flooding, coastal
Bio- Geophysical
geochemcial component erosion and increment in soil salinity.

42